Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott briefly raised alarm following a convincing 44-22 Week 7 win over the Washington Commanders. During his postgame news conference, Prescott appeared with his left hand wrapped. However, he downplayed the injury that stemmed from hitting "another player’s helmet or face mask," with The Athletic's Jon Machota noting he described it as "a little swelling."
"Nothing unusual," Prescott said, doing his best to ease any Cowboys fans' concerns.
Dak Prescott's Hand Injury Shouldn't Detrail MVP-Caliber Season
Based on his initial comments, the 10-year veteran shouldn't miss any time. That's a good thing for the Cowboys, who have no established options behind Prescott. Joe Milton, a 2024 sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots, is Prescott's backup. While he looked good in a meaningless Week 18 start for the Patriots last season, Milton has yet to prove himself when games matter.
For a Cowboys team that is only one game back in the loss column to the Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) for first in the NFC East, keeping Prescott healthy will be key to staying in the division race. Any potential absence could throw the season into a tailspin.
The 2023 league MVP runner-up is once again a leading candidate for the award. Through seven games, Prescott is completing a career-high 71.4% of his pass attempts, throwing for 1,881 yards (7.3 yards per attempt), 16 touchdowns and three interceptions, while ranking first in QBR (81.4).
Entering Monday Night Football, the Cowboys are No. 1 in the league in total offense (2,734 yards) and No. 3 in scoring (31.7 points per game). With one of the league's worst defenses, Prescott's contributions have been incalculable.
His availability will also be vital to Dallas pulling off a Week 8 road upset at the Denver Broncos (5-2), who have one of the league's top defenses, allowing 18.1 points and 273.1 yards per game. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Broncos are an early 3-point favorite.
Despite getting banged up against the Commanders, Prescott should be ready to go for a pivotal inter-conference showdown. With a win, Dallas could go on a run. After Denver, the Cowboys play the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) in Weeks 9 and 11 — with a Week 10 bye sandwiched in between.
The Cowboys have plenty to play for as the season reaches the midway point, and with Prescott healthy, they'll have a chance to play meaningful games well into December, and possibly even January. Needless to say, the Dallas QB1's health will be a hot topic in the coming days.
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